The Dayton Daily News is a renowned newspaper that has served the people of Dayton, Ohio, for over a century. August 22, 2023 marked its 125th anniversary, making it a good time to reflect on the newspaper’s history and its impact on the community over the years.
In 1898, James M. Cox purchased the Dayton Evening News for $26,000. The newspaper was struggling, with a daily circulation of only 1,200 copies. Cox saw an opportunity to turn things around and set about transforming the newspaper into something special.
One of the first things Cox did was change the newspaper’s name to the Dayton Daily News. He believed a daily newspaper would better serve the community and provide readers with the latest news and information. On August 22, 1898, the first issue of the Dayton Daily News hit the newsstands, and a new era in Dayton journalism began.
Under Cox’s leadership, the Dayton Daily News quickly became the number-one newspaper in the city. By 1903, it had a daily circulation of over 30,000 copies—a remarkable achievement. Cox’s vision and dedication to quality journalism paid off, and the Dayton Daily News established itself as an essential part of the community.
The Cox family still owns the Dayton Daily News today. The paper remains a vital part of the community and has received numerous awards for journalism, including a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 1997.
As the Dayton Daily News celebrates its 125th anniversary, it’s clear that it has left a lasting impact on the community it serves. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper with a strong online presence, the Dayton Daily News has remained a beacon of quality journalism and community service for over a century. Newspapers.com™ is proud to partner with a paper with such a rich history, and we look forward to many more years of partnership and collaboration.
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One of the premier days of my genealogical life was back in about 2017. I was doing Ancestry Lifestories for several Dayton relatives. The first stories were slim on Dayton newspaper articles. But then one day in doing a search, articles from The Dayton Daily News & Journal Herald started popping up. Made my Dayton storytelling a lot richer and more well-documented. Now, If newspapers.com could just add in a similar set of Columbus, OH newspapers, my genealogical life would be complete.